Personal Development/Self-reflective Planning
I am present two
(of many) social media platforms which require brief description in my profile.
Twitter: “MBA candidate in marketing strategy, photographer, musician...pretty
cool guy interested in interesting things!” LinkedIn: “President MBA Society, Photographer, Aspiring Marketer”…but
are these synopses really indicative of what I believe? Are they who I am or
are they what I do?
What would I do if I won the lottery?
I often ask
myself this question and the answer is consistently: travel, motorcycle, take
photos, write about it…but beyond these seemingly selfish wishes, my thoughts
consistently come back to the impact on/benefit I receive from my friends and
community.
Why I do what I do
I spend a great
deal of my leisure time in the Calgary area riding motorcycles. The freedom of
the open road allows time for self-reflection, coupled with a group activity
(often ride with close friends). I have spent over 18 months living and
traveling abroad in 32 countries on 4 continents and I do not consider a
country visited unless I have actually “experienced” local culture. Balance is
very important in my life and while many people have a hard time finding time,
I find refuge in simple things like watching sports, having coffee with my mom
or going for a hike. I often act impulsively, but balance is the pinnacle for
me to seizing opportunity, open-mindedness and keeping a positive outlook on
life.
I was raised
without any formal religion, but raised to be curious and open-minded. I am
outgoing and outspoken. After an interdisciplinary undergrad degree, at age 22
I set off on a number of trips to that took me to southeast Asia, USA and
Central America, where curiosity and (lack of) communication lead me to learn
Spanish. But knowledge bug wanted more. At 24, I impulsively moved to the UK
and even more impulsively set off on a 5 month, 14 country tour of Europe and
north Africa which included a 33 day pilgrimage through northern Spain, “El Camino
Santiago”. It was during this hike that I began to truly embrace the act of
self-reflection, the ability overcome pain in pursuit of a goal and to
appreciate the journey en route to the destination.
Mulligan on life: second chances
A mentor of mine
once told me I could make as many mistakes as I wanted – as long as I didn’t
make the same one twice. I enjoyed my most recent “previous life” as a sales
manager but I was not passionate about it. I had a team of 15 and was part of a
management team of 4. I respected my boss because he knew how to “get things
done” in a business sense, but I was respected by my team because I explained the
high-level, customer-centric, “why”. (As
it turns out, focusing on the customer can actually make tons of money!) I was
selective in recruitment and lead in a consensus-based way – as I like being
lead – in a sort of pay-it-forward type system. Coming back to MBA (also impulsively),
I hoped to get more out of life than a grind, find personal clarity, career direction
and ultimately, guidance in trying to find my passion. I have many talents and
while I have acquired many new skills (as well as business contacts and close
friends) throughout the program, I am still uncertain that I have found my true
calling.
I believe in
seeing problems as opportunities and, while it has become somewhat of a joke
with those in my class (along with having a reputation of being incapable of
stress – a reputation I appreciate), I rarely say no to opportunities and always
find time to try new things (including parties, social events, networking). In
the short and long term, I hope to maintain this outlook.
My people: why I am who I am
I seek counsel
from anyone willing to give it (but mostly my close friends, brother and
parents) and I am in the position of MBA Society President because I trust
myself to trust others and others trust in me (and because, while I was not
planning to run, a good friend of mine convinced me that it was my destiny). My
inner circle has diverse viewpoints and I consider most of them to be smarter
than I am, so I can learn from them, but (equally important) they from me. They
have made me the man and leader I am today and I maintain my unconditional
trust in many of them. I follow the golden rule: I treat my friends and
community the way I expect to be treated and hope they do the same for me.
Onward and upward: goals and actions
In the short
term, I will continue to get on the motorbike to encourage solo-reflection; I
will continue to watch the Flames to maintain a sense of community (and because
I like hockey), and I will go for drinks with my friends to hear their ideas.
I also plan to
cook more. Evening classes have not afforded me time to eat at home or as
healthily as I would like. I play guitar, bass, sax and keyboard, but weekly
playing hours manage to be absorbed into other activities. I will attempt to
stop taking freelance photography gigs, as event photography is too scripted
and my love of photography is in the relaxation found by uncovering new points
of view and natural beauty. I also intend to read more books instead of
watching TV (though several documentaries can be quite good as well). I
currently have a mentor and am mentor to two undergrad business students. Both
experiences are rewarding and I hope to stay in touch with all three of them
for years going forward.
In the longer
term, I will continue to keep an open mind. I plan to travel again: my goal is
50 countries by age 50 (one per year shouldn’t be so hard). I will continue to
work with charities, particularly cancer, arthritis, diabetes and mental health
(all conditions that have affected my family). I would also like to have a
family, but mostly so I can teach my kids to skate.
In business, all
there is is integrity and reputation; I believe the same goes for personal
life. I admit when I’m wrong, I don’t do anything I will regret, but I don’t
regret anything I’ve done. On the “Open road of life”, say no to saying no.
Stay balanced, stay on the bike.
